Some oases. Without being in the desert, but in cities where the heat hits, citizens in the United States can count on spaces where they can cool down and forget for a while the impressive temperatures that affect not only that country.

These quiet places are called cooling centers and can be located in “a government-owned building such as a library or school, an existing community center, a religious center, a recreation center, or a private business such as a coffee shop, shopping center.” or a cinema.”

Cooling centers are “air-conditioned areas designated as a ‘safe place’ during extreme heat.”

Univisión reported this on Thursday, September 7, 2023.

Ways to stay cool in hot weather

Outdoor cooling centers

The centers can also be set up in open-air spaces… what do they look like?

The news network highlights that in “some counties, they have set up outdoor cooling locations in sprinkler parks, community pools and public parks.”

Who are cooling centers intended for?

They were created to help vulnerable people. The idea is that they get temporary relief from the extreme heat.

For the nonprofit National Center for Healthy Housing, cooling centers “provide an important resource during extreme heat and are especially critical for the homeless or those without adequate cooling in their homes,” Univision published.

Populations vulnerable to high heat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “include:

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Spreading the concept

These centers are not new. In 2019 they published commentaries on networks about those spaces in New England and in 2021 in Oregon.

To achieve a greater reach, the authorities are analyzing how to overcome an obstacle that they are aware of: “the lack of access to information is one of the obstacles (…) the most vulnerable people are generally the least connected. ”

Despite this valid opinion, posts like this can be seen on social media: “TDEM has compiled a map of heat shelters that are open and managed by local officials,” “Escape the heat at a cooling center near you. For more information, visit http://ready.lacounty.gov/calor,” “Cooling centers will be available, including Boston Public Library branches,” and “Prepare for heat waves! Plan ahead. Find your nearest cooling center and stay hydrated. Call 311 or visit http://Climate4LA.org/Heat for heat relief resources.”

(JO)